Stuck in the Past
by Amledo
Summary: Kagome/Sesshomaru, InuYasha/Sango, and Kohaku/Souta. Lady Kagome's brother follows her through the well. But Kagome must leave him with Kohaku to tend to the troubles of the Demon world.
1. Stuck in the Past

(A/N: I haven't done anything in this fandom in quite some time. I find myself disappointed by that so here's this. A Kagome/Sesshomaru story with a bit of Kohaku/Souta and Sango/InuYasha thrown in, just for my lovely head bunnies (and fans). I don't own InuYasha and I don't want to, I'd muck it up for everyone. Now, I don't really have any warnings to give except the slight slash and non-cannon pairings, but you'll live. Also, I don't know yet whether this is a one-shot or a chaptered affair. On with the show.)

Stuck in the Past

Kagome sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose dramatically at the sight of Souta climbing out of the well. It was something that he'd never managed to do before; follow her. He'd been following her to the well for years, watching her disappear and complaining that he couldn't go along. It seemed that he had finally given in to temptation and jumped in while the portal remained open behind her. Somehow he had utilized a window of a mere few seconds and come to her side of the well. Or maybe it was because he shared her blood and the well had had to rewrite its response to her because of the changes she'd undergone. Perhaps sheer determination had gotten him through. Either way he was likely stuck until she went through again.

"Uhh…Lady Kagome?" Kohaku's voice was full of concern. The 17 year old had been appointed as her personal escort to the well, and a strange young man crawling out of the portal behind her was probably shocking. Kagome smiled at the discomfort that both boys displayed when looking at one another 'Lady Kagome' was probably not something Souta expected to hear. But in the past it had been four years since she had simply been Kagome to anyone but those she cared the most about, and even then only in private.

"It is alright Kohaku. You may trust him. This is Souta, my younger brother. He's been trying to get me to bring him here for the last eight years," Kagome said in the same distant but sympathetic tone that she often used when communicating with Kohaku. She smiled as both boys bowed and greeted each other formally, of course, she hadn't thought about that. As her brother Souta would merit at least a small portion of the respect given to her. "Kohaku, I believe that my brother has determined himself to remain inclined to make this era his dwelling place regardless of hardships. Take a week and train him, see if you can't alter that notion for me, won't you?" Kagome asked in an airier more regal tone, one that robbed the color from Souta's face. It had been difficult to pick up the mannerisms belonging to a proper Lady of the West, but she had learned them and it was more difficult to abandon them.

"As you wish my Lady Kagome. Our Lord would have me bid you return to the Citadel before nightfall. You are needed at Council," Kohaku said, falling once more into his easily adopted formal mannerisms after the brief surprise of her request.

"Then I shall go. And Souta, perhaps I should mention that our Kohaku is a half-Demon, expect no breaks. Kohaku, give no pity short of sparing his life. I would like to send him back alive," Kagome said with a smirk that resembled one typically worn by the man she called Mate. She took a running leap into the sky and was gone, her more human façade vanishing to reveal Demonic symbols of power upon her skin, including the crescent moon on her forehead that designated her station. She wrapped her tail about herself to shield against the wind and made her way to the Citadel and her husband and friends with all haste. If the Council wanted her around then something serious was about to come up for consideration.

Her thoughts did not trail back to consider the wisdom of having left Souta with Kohaku. The young half-Demon would not harm her brother over much and perhaps Souta's true power would finally awaken if left in the hands of an opponent that could actually kill him. With all proper hope she would take him back home and he would be able to defend the shrine in her absence. The presence of Demonic auras had gotten rather overwhelming in what was typically a Demon free era. Kagome's chocolate eyes narrowed in thought, rogue rays of sunlight striking golden veins in their depths gave the only indication of their Demonic nature. There had to be a reason for the increase of Demon traffic back home, and she had a sinking suspicion that other portals like her well might have opened up.

"Kagome! Hey Kagome!" InuYasha's voice carried on the wind, hitting her ears and telling her exactly where he was. It had certainly taken some getting used to when it came to her new senses, and more so, pretending that she didn't have them when she went home.

"Yes Brother? I am on my way to the Citadel, what more is needed?" Kagome said imperiously, her nerves reacting more to the idea of her human family being threatened than anything InuYasha had done. He sighed in response and fell in pace with her as he rode on Kirara's back. So, Sango had sent him, interesting.

"I'm on my way as well. Sango is already there, I was out in the Western Isles, dealing with a small dispute. There has been some considerable upheaval lately. Apparently whole clans have been going missing," InuYasha provided softly, his body straightening as he stood beside Kagome, adding his power to hers so that they might reach their destination more quickly. Kirara looked bored as ever and curled up on his shoulder.

"Have they now? I'm most certainly going to have to divulge the truth of the predicament facing my home time. We have been experiencing a spike in Demonic possessions, attacks and general increase in presence. Until now there were only one or two decent auras before, now there are hundreds," Kagome provided, her mind once more wandering home. How could her life in the past be affecting the reality of her world in the presence?

"Interesting. Not in the least a good thing, but interesting no less, well, you won't need to wait long," InuYasha voiced after a moment and they began their descent landing shortly after at the large wooden gate that barred entrance to the Citadel. Sesshomaru was a proper Lord and kept his home well fortified, after all, it had to protect him and his Second, which was InuYasha, and their respective mates Kagome and Sango.

"Ah, my Lady, my Lord, welcome home. I trust your journeys were safe and prosperous?" Kinta, a guardsman said as he opened the gates at Kagome's request. Kagome regarded him for a quiet moment and then smiled regally.

"Yes, they were completed satisfactorily. Young Kohaku will not be back for about a week. I have set him to training a young Monk of some promise," Kagome provided so that the man did not look for the former Demon Slayer.

"Ah, I see. Well I won't delay you my Lady, you are looked for," Kinta said and Kagome sighed inwardly, there was something of a romance between Kohaku and Kinta, but it had never been serious. At least it hadn't been for Kohaku, he was still re-learning the proper way to experience emotion, being cursed into a half-Demon form hadn't altered his appearance but it had certainly hurt his personality. Of course, Kagome reasoned as she and InuYasha walked through the courtyard, spending a considerable amount of time with Naraku hadn't helped the state of things.

"Souta? You left him with Souta didn't you?" InuYasha said under his breath as they navigated wide halls, bordered by rice paper over wood frame walls, it was still light out so the lanterns hadn't been lit. The servants and guests, both lower class and dignitaries made their way through the halls, giving Kagome and InuYasha a wide berth lest an unintentional offense occur.

"Well yes, what would you have me do? He followed me into a world that his powers are not ready to cope with. If Kohaku trains him then they might awaken, if not, he is close to the well and has a quick escape route," Kagome defended her decision as quickly as she could, not wanting the man she called brother to get the wrong idea. She didn't have the stamina with her other stresses to have an argument over whether or not she was keeping Kohaku away from Kinta on purpose. If she was it was only for Kinta's sake. Kohaku was better off training someone than breaking someone's heart at his age anyway.

"Acceptable I guess," InuYasha allowed and broke away from Kagome's side to go find Sango as Sesshomaru approached. He looked harried, his golden eyes darkened with worry and perfect composure beginning to fray. It disturbed Kagome so much that she embraced him in the hall without considering the propriety of the action. It was true that no one was allowed to question them but typically Sesshomaru was stricter on respect. Not that day, however, his arms wrapped tightly around her slender waist and he buried his head in her hair.

"You have come home safe to me. I am relieved," he said, his voice shaking even as he attempted to retain his more dignified air. Kagome stiffened in fear at his statement. What could have possibly happened?

"Of course my Lord…"

"Kagome, I love you, please, for now just…I never should have allowed you to go," Sesshomaru said softly and she soon found that he had moved them into a sitting room that had been unoccupied. He was kissing her and clutching at her and she didn't quite understand his worry and concern until he kissed her stomach. The sudden knowledge sent her reeling and were it not for her Mate's arms she would have fallen.

"Sesshomaru, are you telling me that you were concerned for me because…"

"A pregnancy would render you weak, severely so. What kind of a man would I be if I allowed my Mate to be unprotected in her most vulnerable?" he stated softly and kissed her mouth.

"I'm pregnant. Are you sure? This has nothing to do with the missing clans or the Demons in my time? You were concerned for my health…and our child's…"

"Missing clans? Demons in your time? My love those are issues for the Council, my concern is your health and safety," Sesshomaru stated plainly and moved the piled scrolls from one of the pillows on the floor so that she could sit down.

(A/N: Well that's it for now. I'm assuming this will be multi-chaptered, but for right now I have no idea where it is going. Leave me a review and we will see if that points me in the right direction)


	2. Remaining Together Across Time

(A/N: I am sorry that I haven't done anything with this fic in quite some time, it was not my intention to let it languish so, but I haven't had internet until recently. I hope that what I produce here is satisfactory enough for you to forgive that absence. No, the pairings will not change, I don't care if you can't stand the idea of a gay romance as a subplot, and there are two het couples, is that not enough? Either way, I don't care and I don't own InuYasha either. On with the show!)

Remaining Together Across Time

Kohaku had been training Souta for a week, seven days, seven long and torturous days. Just as Kagome had instructed. The young Lord was bleeding from cuts that never had time to heal, and encumbered by bruises that kept spreading. Kohaku had no sympathy and his eyes showed it, their dull, dead brown reflected not even the slightest hint of compassion as Souta scraped himself off of the ground once again. The half-demon was beginning to think that his Lady had been mistaken, the boy did not have the Monk's gift, and he could not handle their life. And yet, he kept getting back up, accepting the punishment with quiet determination.

"Why don't you stay down? Then you can run home with your tail between your legs as soon as your sister shows up to escort you. There's no shame in being defeated by someone more powerful than yourself," Kohaku sneered and pressed his foot between Souta's bruised and cut shoulders. But the human boy would not have it. He gritted his teeth and growled and shoved himself up fiercely, almost knocking Kohaku over. The half-demon compensated with a backflip and landed in a crouching position, watching with slitted pupils as the human regained his footing.

"I am not going home, especially not because of someone like you," Souta spat out a mouthful of blood and wiped his hand across his lips, "Not because some inferior half-blooded contaminated creature bested me a few times. I find shame in that, I would find shame in retreating before I am truly beaten," Souta's words turned Kohaku's features frosty and the half-demon launched himself into an attack. Souta blocked a punch and countered a knee with one of his own, and before Kohaku could react his free hand was pressed against the half-demon's chest and a blast of white light blinded them both.

Souta collapsed to his knees, feeling worn out but somehow better than he had all week, his wounds were healing, it seemed. He watched the bruises recede and the cuts seal up like seams as he listened to Kohaku howling in pain. The past several days had taught him to feel very little sympathy for what had once been a human boy. Sympathy it seemed was a commodity not often traded in in such a world.

"You bastard, what did you do," Kohaku was demanding and Souta stared across the clearing, the boy looked different, felt different. Dragging himself to his feet, Souta went over to investigate this change with curiosity and some smugness. He could still feel the warm tingle of the foreign power in his fingertips and his heart still beat with its strength. It meant so much to him to know that the resonance he had felt with the world, the well, the tree and his sister's aura had been real that he was smiling broadly. Perhaps Kohaku saw that smile and took it the wrong way, he wasn't sure, but he was being dragged down by a powerful arm.

"Gods stop…I didn't do anything," Souta said when he realized that those wicked fangs and gleaming red eyes were a sign that something had gone wrong. He did not have the strength to fight and he felt those fangs tear into his throat mercilessly.

Kagome sat on a futon, reading over a scroll that had been brought to her by a messenger from the East. Shippo had sent a missive, well a congratulations disguised as a missive. Word traveled fast when one was Demon royalty. She smiled vaguely at the thought of her adopted kit having a little brother or sister. And though Shippo was now a Lord in his own right, he would always be her child and he would always be the kit that Sesshomaru shaped into a proper Demon man.

She hadn't given it a thought, nor had she really thought of anything except that she was pregnant since Sesshomaru told her about it on her arrival home the previous week. It was so unexpected that she was having trouble processing it. Though she had seen the doctor and it had been confirmed, it was still something that was a wonder to her.

With her hand resting over her abdomen, she attempted to feel the life that was growing inside of her, but it was too faint for her to really make out. Her powers were considerable, but she had always been told that such tests were harder to conduct on yourself. Still though, she wanted to know, was impatient to learn the gender of her child, to know if she was only having one or if there were multiples. She also wanted to make sure that the child was a full Demon. After all, she hadn't always been a Demon; she had grown up and spent most of her life human. She had been a priestess.

She still was, classified as a Miko Inu Demon she was an odd specimen. But Sesshomaru had courted her, and she had accepted him, and they had mated. The strength of her blood and his combined had altered her body and mind. She had become a suitable partner for him and he had become a suitable partner for her. The more brutal side of his nature, oft referred to as the 'Beast' had vanished and left him with his rational mind and only his rational mind.

"My Lady Kagome?" there was a light tapping sound and a voice known to Kagome as Kinta.

"Yes Kinta? You may enter," she said and sat up slightly, applying a more aristocratic expression to her face.

"My Lady, you informed me that you left Kohaku in the company of a young Monk, and that the pair would be training for a week. It has been a week. I wondered what you wished to do as neither has shown up here," Kinta said, his obvious hope that Kohaku would be back and that their affair would continue was almost sad to Kagome. Almost, because as soon as he mentioned it her heart skipped a beat when she realized that she had left her little brother out there for a week, with Kohaku, and had never even spared him a thought. She was a terrible sister, she had probably killed her brother and she hadn't even thought about him once.

She was on her feet in seconds, grabbing Kinta roughly by the front of his gi and hauling him behind her. The pregnancy was not far enough along to cause any issues with her magic or with her strength, and she would have Kinta with her for the excursion.

She briefly thought about telling Sesshomaru, but he was in a meeting and her desperate desire to find her brother would not wait for him. No doubt the news would get back to him, but Kagome had been in such shock that she hadn't once mentioned Souta to her husband. Kinta was not protesting, he cared deeply for Kohaku and would follow her in an instant as long as it was Kohaku.

Before long they had made it to the Citadel gates and the guards did not question their Lady when she was toting one of their own by the front of his shirt. Not that she had noticed, her death grip had not relinquished his clothes. She was so focused on getting to her brother that none of it mattered.

As soon as they were beyond the Citadel, Kinta removed her hand from his shirt and sprinted ahead. His face had shifted and there was an expression of desperation there that she did not want to see on another face ever again. His panic fueled hers and she matched his pace, her nose slowly picking up the scent that he was following. Even though she had been a Demon for some time, it was one of those senses that she had neglected to develop. But even her unpracticed nose smelt blood, and her magic knew that it was her brother's and a Demon's.

Soon she and Kinta were tearing through the trees so quickly that they were nothing more than streaks of color. A sentry spotted them only just soon enough to get out of their path, but otherwise they met no one on their way, and that was something of an unsettling sign. There were no animals, no birds, there was nothing and Kagome's heart was in her throat at the thought.

(A/N: Sorry to leave you here, I don't normally do cliffies but I figured that it would be nice to try. Also, if I don't stop, this chapter will get to a point at which it is just ridiculously long. So let me know what you thought in a review. And sorry again that I was away for so long.)


	3. Finding the Future in the Present Past

(A/N: Well I am back again, I wanted to be much more consistent about updating this for you guys, even though I don't know how long it will be or where it will go. The pairings remain and I still don't own InuYasha, so you can't really do anything about that. I think the content level for this fic might change, but I will have to see. If you find blood disturbing then this chapter probably isn't for you, same goes if you don't like the idea of two guys being together. On with the show!)

Finding the Future in the Present Past

Souta's heart drilled a feather rhythm against his ribcage, it was rapid and weak and he knew that it was because he had lost so much blood. His torn clothing was drenched in the thick red liquid, so was the face of the Demon hovering above him. His vision was beginning to fade slightly, but still he watched Kohaku, dull brown eyes that had turned red were now a glossy chestnut color and filled with a strange sense of wonder. They watch Souta as each breath brought another burble of blood from deep inside his chest to his lips. Like a dutiful dog, Kohaku lapped away the majority of the substance and the soft warmth of his tongue became a point of focus for Souta.

The human man-boy as he might have been once-lifted a trembling hand, somehow free of blood and lightly touched a fair-skinned cheek that was pale under all that red. Kohaku stilled and lifted his eyes to meet the dark brown gaze of the Monk he had made a victim of in his anger. He could not tell what was being communicated, but he also did not want the suffering to go on. For the first time in years he had a clear mind, free of the ravings of insanity that had always threatened on the fringes of his psyche. A small smile came to his lips and he lightly pressed them to Souta's mouth, kissing tenderly that which he had destroyed.

That strange power that the boy had exuded, it had changed him. He understood it in heightened senses and a deeper foundation of control; he knew it in a stirring of Demonic magic and a frighteningly powerful urge to protect. It was some instinct that told him the way to save the Monk, and his blood spilled easily down that battered throat. His kisses bled as they landed on sundered flesh and muscle. He had taken more than enough to give back.

Just when it seemed that he had waited too long, Souta's breath began to come in untroubled even draws and his heart began to slow and beat more strongly. Dark brown eyes took on something of an unnatural shine and their pain-filled gaze turned softer. Souta felt the healing wounds on his neck and blinked slowly once and then twice, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and then opening them to observe the odd changes in the world around him. Something had gone both irrevocably wrong and wondrously right all at the same time and it had to do with the Demon sitting beside him.

"What happened?" Souta asked, his words spoken in a voice that he did not understand the sound of. Kohaku remained wordless as he pulled the younger man up, cradling him against his chest. Understanding only dawned on him when the Demon, the other Demon, he realized, pressed their lips together in a slow, searing kiss. It burned away all rational thought in Souta's mind and they came together in a fierce embrace. Blood gleamed on naked flesh as they finished what they had started, sealing a hasty bond with a bout of lovemaking that was infinitely tenderer than the start of their bonding had been.

Souta lie with Kohaku on his chest, drifting to sleep, still naked and covered in blood, but content. They both slipped into slumber easily, assured that no creature would bother them now. For they were both Demons and Souta's Monk powers remained powerful, growing with each breath and beat of his heart.

That was how Kagome and Kinta found them three hours later. Kinta's rage was so intense that Kagome was forced to issue a stand down command lest Kinta savage her younger brother for the choice that he had made. Of course Kohaku had to be blamed as well, if he hadn't led Kinta on and used him so thoroughly then the relationship that had been forged with Souta would not be such a cause for anger.

"You will return to the Citadel at once. You will fetch my Mate and my Brother and Sister and no less than five guardsmen. You will lead them here with all possible haste. You will bring no more than those I have called for, and you will not temper them against what has happened. If my Mate is in a meeting, you will disturb it. Do you understand? I want you back here within the hour," Kagome said in her most commanding tone. She watched him give a severe nod and spin on his toe before sprinting off the way they had come.

Alone with the pair she allowed herself to sigh, this had not been her intention, not at all. She retrieved Kohaku's cloak from what seemed to be their makeshift camp and laid it out beside both boys. After that she found a skin of water and some shredded fabric and began to clean the blood from their faces. It had long since dried and was flaking away from porcelain pale flesh, but she did not want either of them seen that way. Odd as it was, the occasion called for joy and congratulations, not confusion or fear or anger.

The pair stirred as she started on their chests, Souta's eyes were a shining oak color and Kohaku's a gleaming chestnut. Both boys were unashamed by their uncovered state and took to cleaning themselves up. Kagome relaxed against a tree, waiting for the return of Kinta and the guards. Her family would be most capable of understanding what had happened and so she had requested their presence as well.

The reinforcements she had called for were a bit over the top, especially with Kohaku and Souta up and moving on their own. But there was no way she was going to take a chance on such a thing. Demon clans were vanishing and she thought it best if there was a good deal of high powered backup to escort them, especially now that she knew that she was to have a child. Normally she would have been more reckless, but an entire week spent dwelling on the knowledge that she was going to be a mother had caused her to think more carefully about her own safety.

"My Lady?" Kohaku asked after a moment, they were both clean and wearing spare hakama that Kohaku seemed to have had with him. The cloak was wrapped around both of them as there were no viable gi tops remaining and their feet were bare, though for Kohaku this was nothing new. She addressed them both calmly, her eyes taking on a smile as she realized that she had gained another Brother.

"Yes Brother?" Kagome asked softly, here smile harder to control the more that she thought about it and the more she watched the happiness that lit up Souta's face. Her younger brother had never had any luck in love and now she knew that it was because fate had had other ideas for him.

"I wanted to apologize, this should not have happened without your permission," Kohaku said and gestured between himself and his new Mate. That was really going to take some getting used to. It wasn't that same sex bonds didn't happen, because they did, quite often, it was that her brother and their trusted soldier Kohaku were in one. It was something that would endure eternity and for Kohaku, that was a big step forward from what he had been only a month before.

"You are forgiven for your impropriety; my Lord Brother Souta is fully within his right to make such a choice for himself. I will assume that this is what happened and we shall speak no more of it. You will have a proper ceremony in a week and be introduced to our people as noblemen, you and Souta shall share the position of Third. If Sesshomaru or I and InuYasha or Sango are not available to make a decision it will fall to you. Your induction will be formalized by my Lord Husband," Kagome said and earned bemused smiles from both boys.

(A/N: And that is where this chapter ends. I hope you will leave me a review. I did warn you so I ask that you leave any snarky comments for other things because I do not accept flames.)


	4. Tripping the Paths of Time and Reality

(A/N: I know, I really know, I have been gone for a long time. Don't even start, because I don't think that many of you like this story. My muse however, dictates that I leave nothing unfinished or at least most things…some she just doesn't care about at all. Anyway, the pairings haven't changed, the divergence from the canon hasn't changed, and my complete lack of concern with your thoughts about my pairings hasn't changed either. Now, I have been gone for very close to a year, so without further whining or flailing my hands, let me say, on with the show!)

Tripping the Paths of Time and Reality

Kagome frowned fiercely, her eyes narrowed and one hand pressing over her stomach. There was finally the indication that she was having twins, both boys, growing well and in possession of their father's magic. She didn't mind that she was not going to have her own powers represented in their children, the ability was often difficult to control in male children, and though she could hold Souta up as an example of such a thing, she didn't want to take the chance. But that wasn't what was bothering her. No, it was that for the fourth time that week she was receiving a report from one of her junior guards that Kinta had been abusing his duties.

Fingers twisted through her long hair, her pregnancy had it alternating almost daily between the silver of Sesshomaru's hair, and her original deep mahogany. She had been informed by the doctors that such a thing was common as the powers and abilities of the children growing inside of her would run unchecked for some time. As long as it was never anything overly concerning, Kagome wasn't about to waste the energy to fight back with her own powers, but she certainly felt a little odd about it.

"My Lady?" Souta bowed slightly to her as he stepped into the room, his feet clad in tabi socks though she knew he would rather be barefoot. She smiled at her younger brother, his appearance much improved by his entrance into Demonic blood. With a slight gesture she indicated that he should sit with her, and he didn't need much prompting, flopping gracelessly onto the futon beside her and tucking his arms behind his head.

"You are alone my Lord Brother," she said curiously and Souta blushed fiercely, perhaps tired of everyone referring to the first month of a bonding as the Honeymoon. Souta and Kohaku each had responsibilities that had prevented them from having a proper courtship or bonding and everyone knew it. Of course, with her own bonding having been interrupted by the same responsibilities, Kagome was sympathetic.

"Your Lord Husband has taken my mate with him for the day. They are visiting with Lady Rin, curious, I believe, to see how she is doing as a Ward of the Eastern Star," Souta provided and Kagome allowed the information a moment to roll through her mind. Rin would be 15 now, she believed, soon to be done with her period of fostering and education, ready to step up and take her place as the Court Miko in the East. It had hurt for Sesshomaru to send her away, but it was tradition for all Lords to send a treasured member of their house to foster with a new Lord upon his rise to power. Rin, who had already loved Shippo, had been happy to go.

"Lord InuYasha and Lady Sango?" Kagome inquired, not certain how to raise the subject of Kinta with her brother. How could one talk to their sibling about the ex-lover of their mate and not cause undue grief? Becoming a Demon had not stripped her of her humanity, or her human emotions, but it had dulled them, and her sensitivity had suffered for it, leaving her unable to approach delicate matters without a measure of cruelty.

"Here, attending to a matter with a few of the guards. Reports of abuse, threats, and violence. Unusual, it would seem," Souta said and Kagome's frown sharpened. He noticed that and his arms slid out from behind his head, instead moving to prop him forward.

"Why were these reports not brought to me? I just dealt with one, why not the others?" Kagome asked, brown eyes swirling with the hidden glints of gold that bonding had given them.

"They are simply detaining the guard and compiling a proper report. It will be brought to you shortly. The guard is being segregated and secured, as far as I am aware. They call him Kinta. He was under Kohaku's command, but my Lord Husband refuses to comment upon the situation," Souta said, and Kagome did not miss the blatant dig for information. With a sigh she figured that at least it had been asked for, so she wasn't exactly dumping something on her brother without thought or care. Still, it wasn't something that she wanted to say without compassion, or at least some small way to soften the blow.

"He is…or was as I should say. A dalliance of Lord Kohaku's back when the taint of Demon blood was just that in his body and mind. When he came to serve us, Kohaku had only recently broken away from Naraku's service. His heart and mind were…corrupted," Kagome said, her fingers laced together and her hands hooked over one knee. To her great surprise Souta's face split into something that resembled a grin. He hadn't quite mastered facial expressions with his new interpretation of emotions, but he was making better progress than Kagome herself had.

Instead of saying anything, a change that had cropped up since he became a Demon, Souta rose from his seat and offered his hand to his sister. In private they spoke in proper terms, the walls had many ears and they were always looking for weaknesses in the bonds between those in power. But their actions were free from observation, leaving Souta free to hug his sister after he pulled her up, his head tucked briefly into her hair. It was not a hug that asked for reassurance, Kagome noticed, but one that seemed to press Souta's energy against her own. As they broke apart, she realized that he had been saying hello to his nephews. Once more his abilities, possibly from his recent change, were more impressive than hers had been.

"Kohaku's past is in his past. I have only our future to look forward to. Though, if there is to be disciplinary action taken against this guard, I would wish for it to be done and settled before he returns from the East. He has a poor habit of claiming guilt for himself and carrying it as a burden," Souta said briefly looking at Kagome with the same pleading look that she had seen many a time in their childhood. There was no help for it, Kagome smiled brilliantly and drew her brother into another hug. It was a joy to know that she had not lost him completely.

"Let us go then, and deal with this matter together," she offered and with his arm under her hand, they left the sitting room.

(A/N: That's it for now. I will be attempting to keep this more regularly updated, but as I said, I don't know how many of you are actually interested. If you could leave me a review to let me know, I would appreciate it, that way I can switch priorities if needed.)


	5. A Circle is a Path

(A/N: So, here I am again. Woohoo for the regular updates. I can't thank you guys enough for reviewing. It always makes me smile, and I wish that it was a regular thing. I would be a much happier person, and have a much more pleasant muse if only that happened. But, I don't like begging for them. Now, I still don't own InuYasha, and I never will. However, the warnings haven't changed, or at the very least, in the sense that the stuff that has been established won't change. There is a little bit of a torture scene in here, nothing graphic, just a bit of a beating, but if you don't like that, then I apologize.)

A Circle is a Path

Souta was stronger as a Demon than he ever had been as a human, Kagome could feel it in him as he walked beside her. Not just in a physical sense, his mind had a clarity to it that he'd never before possessed and his powers had grown to a level to rival her own. It was almost obvious that he had been meant for Demon blood. The 17 year old was an adult, as sure as she herself was.

They walked together, servants and dignitaries alike bowing out of their way. The holding cells were separate from the main Citadel, dug beneath the guard houses as something like dungeons. There was where Kinta would be held, and that was where they would deal with the problem that had cropped up in their home. With everything else that had gone on in the world around them, there was no need for internal conflict.

"My Lady, my Lord?" one of the guards asked, standing up to greet them as they stepped into the small entry way that was at the front of the guardhouse. Kagome smiled slightly, inclining her head to show that the young man could relax.

"We are here to attend to the matter of Guardsman Kinta," she said calmly, noting the way that Souta's eyes roved the room, taking in the worn bench upon which the man had been sitting and the sunken stones where the stamping of cold feet had pressed on them time and again.

"He is in the cells below my Lady. Lord InuYasha and Lady Sango are with him at the moment," the guard said and unlocked the sliding gate that led to the stairs. Kagome gave another small nod of acknowledgement, smiling for the young man and allowing Souta to lead the way down the stairs. They had very few prisoners that possessed Demon blood, most were rogue Samurai that Sesshomaru dealt with as part of his duty in protecting the humans of the land.

She also knew that Sesshomaru was going to be gone for far longer than what was required to visit Rin. Most likely he and Kohaku would be tending to the matters of the few clans that had gone missing nearby, or adding their skills to those of Shippo's people. So Kagome didn't mind being the one that dealt with such a strange matter, as long as the larger issues of their world were still being tended to as well.

"Kagome?" InuYasha asked, straightening up and smiling. Kagome could see that Sango stood a little ways down, her eyes cold and focused on one of the cells, arms crossed over her chest. Rarely did Sango have to assume her Demon Slayer personality, but when she did, she could frighten most Demons into a stupor. It was a special trait that both Kagome and Sesshomaru appreciated in the few times that it had been needed.

"Yes, I was waiting for a summons, but when it was not forthcoming, I decided to see to this matter on my own. I think that it would be appropriate, brother, if Souta were to experience such a thing," Kagome said, a feral smirk revealing her pointed eye teeth and causing a smug grin to place itself on InuYasha's lips as well. He tilted his head toward the cell and Sango stepped forward, swinging the door open, keeping Kinta cowering in the corner with a cold look.

"We would have called for you soon. We were sorting out the list of crimes that he was brought down here for. We just finished up. I would be happy to see how Souta deals with this matter," InuYasha said calmly and Souta nodded, stepping into the cell. Sango closed the door behind him and the three friends stepped up, peering in as Souta stood, considering Kinta carefully. The teenager clasped his arms behind his back and leaned against the wall, organizing his thoughts as he stared at the sniveling coward before him.

"You were a trusted guardsman," Souta intoned, sounding as threatening as Sesshomaru ever did. Kagome was proud.

"Indeed, I was," Kinta replied, seeming unsure of what to do. He knew who Kohaku was of course, but he didn't know what he was going to be facing.

"Tell me why you felt the need to disregard your oaths and duties," Souta said, fingers slipping along the solid stones of the wall behind him.

"You know well why I did it. There was nothing left to me," Kinta said, eyes cold, some of his courage returning, propelling himself to stand. He challenged Souta in his stance, seeming offended when Souta did not abandon the relaxed pose that he had adopted.

"You mean to say that my mate is the cause for this behavior? You would insinuate that it is anyone's fault but your own? Were you not in control of your own actions?" Souta demanded, his fingers pressing flat, ready to press himself forward in order to crush the other man to the ground if needed. The instincts of Demon blood had woven themselves well into his mind, and it was serving him well. Kagome remembered how poorly she had done in her first few days as a Demon and feeling relief that Souta had not been forced to deal with that.

"I was in control of myself," Kinta retorted, and missed the motion that propelled Souta forward, his fist following through with a firm strike to Kinta's jaw. The stunned Demon spun around and dropped to a knee, his mouth bleeding. Souta delivered a kick to exposed ribs, dropping the other man flat to the floor. Kinta wheezed and before he could take another breath, Souta's knee dropped heavily to his chest.

"You corrupt the name of my Lord husband. You think that because he chose you once or twice in the past that you can damage his future? I will not have it," Souta growled, driving each point home with a firm slug in the gut.

"Can he not defend his own honor? He needs his bitch to do it?" Kinta spat, and Souta sneered.

"You are so far from his mind that he has not thought of you once. I attend to this matter because it has been asked of me. Be aware, guardsman, that you are meaningless. If I kill you now, no one will care," Souta said, studying the blood dripping from Kinta's lips, smirking slightly.

"So do it. Kill me!" Kinta shouted and Souta kicked him again.

"No. I won't. You'll stay here," the teenager said and spun on his foot, heading for the door, which Sango opened without a word. She locked it and the three of them stepped away, to the end of the long row of cells.

"Well that was interesting," InuYasha commented, passing Souta a cloth with which to wipe up the blood.

"Sorry. I am not as in control as I thought I would be," Souta acknowledged. He looked to Kagome, expecting to see her disappointed, instead finding a small smile. She patted him softly on the shoulder.

"The first time I had to deal with something like that, the Demon nature took over entirely. You did well Souta, truly," Kagome whispered, embracing her brother and hoping that it was out of his system. He hugged her back, sighing against her shoulder and closing his eyes.

"I wish you would tell me when you were testing me," Souta said softly, wishing for Kohaku to come back. He knew that Sesshomaru was what grounded Kagome, that the Demon Lord had brought her back from the near madness of the change. She didn't talk about it much, but her love for Sesshomaru was the only reason that she had maintained even a scrap of humanity.

Hopefully with his sister and some family around, he would be able to preserve his own mind. He didn't want to leave Kohaku to take care of a bloodlust crazed mate.

(A/N: I really am sorry that this story has to alternate so wildly between calm periods and those of such darkness, but I really do have a plan. There will be a happy ending. So I hope you all stick with me on this. See you next time folks!)


	6. The Spinning Hands of a Clock Unseen

(A/N: Why hello there folks. Did you miss me? I know that it hasn't been that long, but it feels like forever. So, I'm sorry if you feel the same way. I haven't changed any of the warnings on this fic and will add them as needed. But this time there isn't anything gruesome or nasty to warn you about, no darkness or anything of the sort. I decided to push one of the fluff chapters forward, just a bit, to make up for the sort of angst and weirdness that was in the last one. Anyway, on with the show!)

The Spinning Hands of a Clock Unseen

The Lord of the Citadel had been gone for nearly two months, not an unheard of absence, but certainly one that wore on Lady and servants alike. Kagome had taken to spending all of her time in the Great Library, reading through scrolls left by Demon scholars. Most of them were nonsense, pieces of information that had only been useful during a specific Lord's reign. But they were still interesting, and suitable for her continued practice in the language of Demons. Words were shaped by the scratching of claws, a series of lines and dots that would have made no sense to her when she was human.

The fires burned hot in the Citadel, regardless of the season, as the Lady of the West and Lady Second of the West were with child and experiencing frequent bouts of chills that led to great discomfort. Kagome hadn't expected to hear that InuYasha and Sango had conceived, as Sango had been certain that she was barren. Yet, she was overjoyed for her Sister in Bond, and had done all that was in her power to keep her happy. Kagome herself, though starting to show through her kimono, had changed very little about her life or her habits. Though, she would admit to eating a bit more, and keeping her brother at her side nearly constantly for he own protection. Demons were not known to be gentle, and nothing about her being a Lady, or a pregnant one, would stop them from hurting her.

"You're boring," Souta declared after what felt like hours in the Library being used as a pillow by his elder sister. Kagome lifted her head so that she could stare up at Souta's face, the young man changed by Demon blood, yet still so much himself. Her own eyes were still fluctuating wildly, sometimes even turning a new color, green, or lavender on a whim. He poked her nose and she wrinkled it, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You used to be so absorbed in study that you had to be reminded to do anything else," she reminded, tapping his cheek and sitting up. With gentle hands, because it was immensely old, Kagome rolled the scroll back up and carefully replaced it in the leather tube that it had been held inside. Souta slipped out from beneath her and returned it to the cubby that belonged to that case and twisted it until he was satisfied with how it sat. Being unusually particular about the way things were positioned or set up had become something that Souta contended with in his everyday life. It was what he had acquired from settling into his Demon's mind.

"I know. If I were to sit down to it now, I would gather dust for my lack of care for anything else. I must content myself with reading over your shoulder, and you do not read nearly quickly enough for me," Souta said, a shrug tilting one shoulder up and going in tandem with a mischievous little grin. Kagome huffed, and though her stomach had begun to show visibly with the children that she carried, for she was certain that there were at least two, she lunged off of the couch and into Souta's chest. He let go a puff of air and smacked into the ground, catching her even as she began to tickle him without mercy.

"I have an eternity to read all that I might wish, and you chastise me for reading slowly?" she said, poking him in the ribs and making sure to get her icy fingertips up under his shirt to press against his skin. He shrieked and giggled, and for just a moment, they were children again, and Kagome knew nothing more of responsibility than doing the dishes or keeping her room tidy.

"That is hardly dignified behavior for a Lady of the West. What would you say of it my Lord Kohaku," Sesshomaru's voice from the doorway was like magic; it brought silence to the room almost at once, and stopped all movement. Souta and Kagome froze their eyes moving in tandem to stare at those that they had not seen it two long months. On Sesshomaru's lips was a lopsided smile, and Kohaku merely beamed.

Then the spell was broken, and Kagome was up, moving toward Sesshomaru as quickly as he could. She was caught up in her Mate's arms and spun around. Beside them, Kohaku was hugging Souta fiercely, kissing the other boy ferociously. Their mating had been young and the separation had nearly driven them mad. So it was not surprising, when, with barely a bow, the pair vanished to their quarters. Kagome tried not to think about how frightened the servants would be to step foot near that bedroom after what was sure to happen between the pair.

"My love," Kagome breathed, kissing Sesshomaru's chin and leaning her head against his collarbone. The Demon Lord smiled and breathed in her scent, calmly reaching down to stroke her stomach. He had not been present to see her grow, and he knew that he had missed some part of his children's lives, yet he loved them no less.

"I will not be gone again for some time," he assured, his nose in her hair, fingers trailing over her side, pressing down occasionally to feel the swell of their child within her. He wanted to believe that it would be a quick pregnancy. His doctors had assured him that though Demon pregnancies could be variable in length, Kagome's would not be affected by her Miko blood. But, he wasn't sure that he believed them. After all, they had not known that she was even with child in the beginning. If they had, she never would have had the chance to go home. But then, he reasoned, they would not have Souta, and things with Kohaku might have gone downhill more rapidly.

"That is good. Have you met with your advisors yet?" Kagome asked, thought she thought she knew what the answer would be. Sesshomaru was a proper Lord after all, and such long absences decreed that he be brought up to speed as quickly as possible. The other Lords had likely kept him posted during his travels, but he would be behind on the goings on of his own home. Such a thing was simply not proper.

"No, my Lady love," he dropped a kiss on her head, nosing his mark on her skin. "I thought you and our children to be more important than the trivial matters of a few residents," Sesshomaru said, smiling when she turned a shocked glance up at him. He cupped the side of her face and placed a kiss against her lips, smoothing one thumb along her cheek.

"You will be in trouble with your advisors," she said softly, breathing desperately against his lips, aching for another kiss. There was a very good reason that he should have gone to his advisors first. Now that she had tasted his lips she would not be denied the rest of him.

"I care not for the whims of old men, nor the politics of the squabbling nobility. You are my Lady and my love, and I will not be denied your arms a moment longer than needed," he said firmly, kissing her passionately to silence any further protest that she might lodge. He lifted her into his arms and swept her out of the Great Library, his feet barely touching the floor as he whisked her away to their rooms. She laughed happily and tucked herself against him, allowing her Lord to carry her away without a single complaint.

(A/N: Well, I hope that you liked it, because it was fun to write. Next chapter will be a bit heavy, as Sesshomaru will be brought up to speed on what happened when he was gone. He will also reveal to Kagome what he learned and found in his travels. So, there might be a few darker themes included. Be warned, but stay tuned. Anyway, leave me a review to tell me what you thought of this one.)


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